This easy crock pot chicken noodle soup is adapted from a classic 1972 Betty Crocker recipe, with tender chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles in a delicious broth like grandma would make.
Converted from the original stovetop recipe for any-size crock pot, with flexible scaling for 2, 4, or 8 servings. It’s simple comfort food with easy prep and dependable results.
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Featured Comment by Taylor:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Everything turned out perfectly…. Wonderful recipe-and one of the few I have found that are made to accommodate a small cooker."
⭐ TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What: Easy crock pot chicken noodle soup with chicken, vegetables, broth, and egg noodles.
Why: Simple prep, classic comfort-food flavor, and flexible scaling for 2, 4, or 8 servings.
How: Add the chicken, vegetables, broth, and seasonings to the crock pot and cook until tender. Shred the chicken, then add the noodles near the end so they don’t overcook.
🐓 Ingredients
- Chicken — boneless skinless breasts or thighs
- Chicken broth — low-sodium preferred
- Vegetables — carrots, celery, and onion
- Seasoning — salt, black pepper, and one bay leaf
- Dry noodles — standard commercial egg noodles work best
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup in a Crock Pot
1. Prep: Chop the vegetables and trim the chicken.
2. Cook: Add everything except the noodles to the crock pot and cook until the chicken is tender. Remove and shred the chicken, then return it to the crock pot.
3. Add noodles: Add the egg noodles near the end and cook until tender. Adjust the seasoning and broth as needed, then serve.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👍 Options and Tips
Chicken options
- Use cubed boneless chicken breasts or thighs for the easiest version.
- For shredded chicken, cook breasts to 165°F or thighs to 180°F, then shred and return the chicken when adding the noodles.
- For rotisserie chicken, add it with the noodles when the carrots are tender since it is already cooked.
Broth and noodle adjustments
- For a brothier soup, add 1–2 cups of chicken broth.
- For more noodles, add about 2 cups of broth for every ½ cup of additional dry pasta.
- Add noodles only after the chicken and vegetables are cooked. Cook until the noodles are tender, checking every 15 minutes since pasta cooking times vary.
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↕️ Scaling for 2, 4, or 8 and Crock Pot Sizes
- For 2: Half recipe makes 2–3 servings and fits a 2-quart crock pot.
- For 4: Full recipe makes about 10 cups (4–6 servings) and fits a 3½-quart crock pot.
- For 8: Double recipe makes 8–12 servings and needs a 6½-quart or larger crock pot.
Changing the recipe size
- Use the recipe card to scale the ingredients to half or double.
- Measure from the ingredient list since amounts in the instructions don’t auto-adjust.
- Cooking time stays the same for all sizes.
- If adding extra noodles, add extra broth as described in “Options and Tips.”
✅ Pro Tip: Don’t fill the crock pot more than 75% full. If adding extra broth, hold some back until the soup is cooked, then add it as needed.
♨️ Stovetop Version
- Add everything except the noodles to a Dutch oven.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 60–90 minutes.
- For whole chicken, remove breasts at 165°F or thighs at 180°F, shred, and return to the pot. If using rotisserie chicken, add it now.
- Bring the soup to a boil, add the noodles, and cook according to package instructions until tender.
🧊 Storage and Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store for 3–4 days. The noodles absorb broth, so add broth or water when reheating as needed.
- Freezer: For the best texture, freeze for 3–4 months before adding the noodles. Portion what you plan to freeze before the noodle step.
- Freezing with noodles: It’s safe, but the noodles will soften and the soup will be thicker after thawing.
📖 More Crock Pot Soup Recipes
- Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup — another classic recipe.
- Crock Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup — light, simple, and family-friendly.
- Crock Pot French Onion Soup — slow-cooked sweetness with deep flavor.
- Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup — a simple crock pot version of a classic.
❓ FAQs
Standard egg noodles work best. They hold their shape, cook evenly, and match the timing in this recipe. Quick-cooking or other pasta may cook much faster, so check it frequently.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - (1 to 1½ pounds; thighs may be used)
- 4-6 cups chicken broth
- 2 carrots - sliced
- 2 ribs celery - sliced
- 1 onion, medium - chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ cup dry egg noodles
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Peel and slice 2 carrots, chop 1 medium onion; slice 2 ribs of celery.
- Prep the chicken: Trim 2 chicken breasts (1–1½ pounds) into 1-inch cubes, or cook them whole and shred them before adding the noodles.
- Load the crock pot and cook: Add the chicken and vegetables to a 3½-quart or larger crock pot. Add 32 oz chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook on LOW for 4 hours total.👉 For a soupier result, add an additional 1–2 cups of broth.
- Add noodles: After 3 hours, or when the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender, add 1½ cups dry egg noodles. Cook for the final hour, or until the noodles are tender.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
For rotisserie chicken, add it with the noodles when the carrots are tender. Use standard egg noodles for predictable cooking. Check early for doneness. For extra noodles, add about 2 cups of broth per ½ cup of additional dry noodles. This recipe scales for 2, 4, or 8 servings; see the post for crock pot sizes. Storage: Refrigerate for 3–4 days. For the best freezer results, freeze for 3–4 months before adding the noodles.Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
This is my wife's favorite chicken noodle soup recipe, but I added the conversion to a small crock pot. The original source is the 1972 Betty Crocker Cookbook.
Editor's Note: Originally published November 20, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Ashley Ayres says
What seasoning can be used if don't have bay leaf
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Ashley,
Welcome to the blog.
Just skip the bay leaf.
Dan
Patricia says
I make a similar recipe a lot. A tip is to cook pasta separate and add to each individual serving. Keeps broth from being all soaked up especially if you have leftovers.
Lonnie says
I've made this several times over the past year and I always, always forget the bay leaf. In all other soups, I remember. So, I just put this together this morning to eat later and remembered the bay leaf! Yay me!
I'm wondering if you've ever used different seasonings. I love thyme and in a chicken dish, I love to add poultry seasoning. Would those two things work well in this one? I don't like changing things up unless I know it'll work.
Thanks for such a simple, wonderful tasting recipe.
JOY MARIE GRAY says
Hello Dr Dan,
Made this Chicken noodle soup tonight for dinner, I loved that the recipe was so easy and I did follow it exactly. But after four hours and 10 minutes we served our dinner and the carrots were hard and the celery was semi-hard, we still enjoyed the flavor thank you for the recipe
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Joy,
Welcome to the blog.
A couple of things about the veggies not being done. Thinner cooks faster so cut thinner may help. Second, there is some variability in crock pots so you may want to check the veggies for tenderness before adding the noodles and cook a bit longer is needed.
Dan
Katlynn says
I followed the recipe exactly and my noddles are mushy. Any tips?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Katlynn,
Welcome to the blog.
Sorry, you are having an issue. About the only variables it could be is the type of pasta and the crock pot. Some pasta may cook faster although it has never happened to me. Also, if your crock pot runs hot, it would cook faster. So if that is the pasta you are going to use, do a quick test of the pasta every 20 minutes or so after you add it.
Dan
Amber says
Wish I would of cooked the noodles separately. It's mushy😬
Sharon says
If you double the recipe, how long do you think it should cook for? Thank you!
DrDan says
Hi Sharon,
Welcome to the blog.
Cooking time remains the same. I use a 3.5 qt crock pot for the single version but if you double, use at least a 6 qt crock pot.
Dan